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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29832975">Garden of Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdking/pseuds/birdking'>birdking</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet Ending, Domestic, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, also canon events do occur, gratuitous use of flower symbolism, perspective shifts often</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:21:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,311</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29832975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdking/pseuds/birdking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>So Ichigo gets unintentionally kidnapped when the menos beam up Aizen and co. from the Soul Society. </p>
<p>Who knew he would end up falling for an evil mastermind?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aizen Sousuke/Kurosaki Ichigo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Garden of Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is the first fic i've ever uploaded so please be gentle with me. its the product of a very intense but very short rewatch of the anime after relapsing.<br/>i went a lil crazy with the flowers bc I'm a bitch that loves flower symbolism.<br/>also be warned that Ichigo mellows out a lot towards the end, but that's what spending months in close contact with someone (who you eventually fall for) will do to you. and this is not a story where they live happily ever after either.<br/>i tried to show ichigo and aizen's growing affection for each other through the use (or lack thereof) of honorifics/first and last names.</p>
<p>death of the author is a thing so anything open-ended is up to your interpretation.<br/>flower meaning listed in the end notes</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ichigo was in a predicament. He had lunged at the man who shoved his entire hand into Rukia’s chest, unwilling to let him get away, but then a beam light shot down from the sky and he was trapped with him instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aizen was annoyed at first until he sensed the slightest bit of hollow reiatsu coming from the boy. He decided to look into it, as he had never met the young shinigami before to even be able to attempt his hollowfication tests on him. And the boy also had a healthy hatred of the soul society already, so surely it should be easy enough to sway him to their side? Well, either way he’ll be stuck in Hueco Mundo with the three traitors and hundreds of arrancar with no possible way of leaving. With that, Aizen held fast to the boy and leered down at the shinigami captains below him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo struggled in Aizen’s grasp, the garganta’s dark maw creeping closer as the small island he was on rose higher. A hundred or so menos stared from above. Ichigo could feel panic set in. One menos took all of his strength to defeat; how could he possibly take down a hundred of them and three former shinigami captains? Aizen’s grip on his shoulder and sword arm was strong and no amount of squirming helped him to escape. They were beginning to enter the garganta when Aizen turned to gaze down at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sheath your zanpakuto. There’s no point in trying to escape. These walls are impenetrable, “ he said, releasing Ichigo. Ichigo darted out of his grasp, holding his sword tensely in front of himself. They were deep within the space of the garganta now, nearing the end where it would drop them off at the outskirts of Las Noches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do with me?” Ichigo asked. Aizen raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What makes you believe I took you with a purpose?” he answered. “You merely acted on your own hot-headed impulse. Though, I do find you somewhat interesting. Are you aware of the latent hollow reiatsu mixed within your own?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo stilled, lowering Zangetsu slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...It feels familiar,” Aizen continued. “Have you manifested a hollow mask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know about that?!” Ichigo growled out, raising his sword once more. They now stood in front of the gates of Las Noches, pale sand swirling around them. Ichimaru and Tousen were waiting nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well now, shouldn’t ya just show ‘im, Aizen-sama?” Ichimaru grinned and gestured to the slowly opening gate. Ichigo jerked his sword towards him, then towards the open entryway at the sight of several humanoid hollows milling about on the other side. A few had very obvious mask remnants, while others were more subtle. The three former captains stepped forward into Las Noches. Ichigo remained where he was, confusion and stress clear on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you coming in or not, Kurosaki-san?” Aizen turned to face him. “I want to discuss this hollow power of yours in more detail. Besides, you have nowhere else to go.” He turned back to follow his companions, smirking when he heard Ichigo’s footsteps grow nearer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seeing as he has no way to return to the Seireitei, do you intend to let him stay here?” asked Tousen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is a shinigami from outside the Seireitei, and from the world of the living no less. He did not get his hollow power from me, therefore Urahara Kisuke must be the source. I’d like to find out how far his research has advanced,” Aizen explained. “He will be allowed to roam as he wishes, and the arrancar will have orders to leave him be. He will train with a select few so I can observe his potential. If he can be convinced to fight for me, then I will allow one of you to teach him kidou and further strengthen his abilities. Of course, assuming he has any use at all. If not, he can be disposed of.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Weeks passed. At first, Ichigo hoped his friends and Urahara would try to rescue him. However, within that time, he had grown used to being surrounded by arrancar and gained a routine of sorts. He would take his meals with the shinigami and have small talk, then spar with some of the weaker arrancar. Aizen would observe and tell him to do certain things to bring his hollow out. They would discuss his progress and whatever new theories Aizen had regarding his hollowfication. Then he would be free to do whatever he wanted as long as he remained on the grounds of Las Noches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo found himself lurking in the large garden more often than not. It was the only place that even slightly resembled home despite the false sky above. He sat under the gazebo with a blank journal and pen, absentmindedly sketching the flowers around him as he thought about his captors. Tousen never interacted much with him, and Ichimaru seemed only to want to push his buttons. But it was Aizen that really stumped him. The former captain of the Gotei 13 proved that he was a master liar and manipulator back in the Seireitei, but within Las Noches he seemed to be sincere in his efforts to understand Ichigo’s powers. Even during their dinner conversations, Aizen was amiable. Could Ichigo trust that he truly wanted to help him?</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sousuke tried to think of Ichigo as a project, someone that could be used against the Seireitei later on; he really did, but something about the boy drew him in. Maybe it was the determination in his eyes during sparring sessions, or how fond he looked when speaking about his family at dinner. It might even have been how Ichigo played along with Ichimaru’s jokes, endearing himself to the silver-haired shinigami. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One day Sousuke entered the garden with Ichimaru, intending to relax after meeting with the Espada. Ichimaru wandered off to the small shed where the gardening tools were kept, while Sousuke made his way to the gazebo. He paused upon reaching it, spotting bright hair bent over the table. He took a moment to watch Ichigo sketch several of the lilies planted nearby. It seemed the boy had talent in more than just fighting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gravel crunched underfoot as he continued forward and Ichigo looked up sharply at the noise. The garden was usually empty when he was there, so a visitor was quite unexpected. He sat up from his hunched position at the sight of Aizen, unsure of what the man wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your drawing is quite accurate,” Aizen commented, sitting on an empty chair next to Ichigo. “How long have you been practicing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Ichigo glanced down at his journal. “I guess I’ve always drawn things here and there. Doodles on school assignments and the like.” He flipped back a few pages to one of his first drawings. It was of the very gazebo they sat under. “I still wasn’t very good when I started here, but all the free time has helped.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It seems you are a quick learner regardless of the subject.” Sousuke smiled. It was true; Ichigo progressed leaps and bounds with his hollow and, with two skilled shinigami teachers, had taken well to kidou. His abilities to control his own reiatsu and to detect and identify the reiatsu of those around him were still a bit shaky, but Sousuke had faith that it would take no time for the boy to master them. He was going to be immensely powerful, Sousuke thought to himself with pride. Not for the first time, Sousuke wondered at how invested he became in Ichigo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Likewise, Ichigo was wondering when he started thinking Aizen was handsome… The man exuded power and confidence, which were attractive qualities on their own, but the gentleness of his smile in that moment, the fondness in his eyes, Ichigo found himself falling deeper. It was getting harder to remind himself that this was the man who betrayed the Gotei 13 and fully intended to kill his friends to reach his goal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another month passed. Ichigo long gave up on rescue from the world of the living, but life wasn’t so bad at Las Noches. With Sousuke’s help, he was able to uncover the truth of his hollow and zanpakuto as well as his dual heritage. Through Sousuke’s memory of the shinigami records kept at the Central 46 residence, plus Ichigo’s many stories of his family, they connected Ichigo’s father to the former captain from the Shiba clan. After a little sleuthing in the world of the living via Ichimaru, they discovered Ichigo’s Quincy heritage through his mother. Aizen felt a pang of regret when he first saw a picture of Ichigo’s mother. He recognized the woman from his experiments with White; he hadn’t known she survived to have a family, passing down the hollow’s power to her son.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>These revelations made working with Ichigo’s hollow much easier. Once it was recognized as Ichigo’s true zanpakuto, it no longer inhibited Ichigo in the middle of battle. There was a learning curve when it came to fighting with two blades rather than one, but plenty of spars with a delighted Grimmjow certainly eased the way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo, having filled up many a sketchbook of drawings of flowers and arrancar alike in the following months, took to helping Ichimaru tend to the garden. The shinigami often took trips to the world of the living for seeds, fertilizer, and potting soil. It was a pastime from the Seireitei that carried over to Hueco Mundo. Trees never lasted long under the false sun, so there went Ichimaru’s hobby of making dried persimmons. Instead, he cultivated flowers of all sorts, with lilies being the main feature. They were Matsumoto’s favorite. Ichigo made sure to take extra care of those since Ichimaru always looked so sentimental when gazing at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sousuke also took to spending more time in the garden. He enjoyed watching Ichigo at work, hands dirty but gentle when handling such delicate things. He thought for a moment before calling out:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kurosaki-kun, would you like to take a trip to the world of the living? I suspect Gin is in need of more supplies, and it would do you good to get out for a while.” Ichigo perked up from his place on the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?! You would let me go back there?” he asked, hope rising.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Sousuke nodded before continuing, “but I’m afraid it would only be to the garden center and back. We wouldn’t want the shinigami from the Seireitei to find us. At this point, they must think you’re dead or collaborating with the enemy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo frowned at that and looked down at the garden shovel in his hand. He wasn’t collaborating with Aizen, not really. There was never any talk of using Ichigo in battle against the Seireitei. Sure, he was allowed to sit in on Espada meetings, but that’s because Aizen wanted him to trust that they wouldn’t harm his old friends and family… right? Either way, getting caught walking around freely with the traitors wouldn’t look good at all. Ichigo looked up at Aizen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The garden center felt magical compared to the blandness of Las Noches. The woman who owned it recognized Ichimaru as a regular and was excited to see he had brought friends. They left with several lily seedlings and some tulip bulbs Ichimaru wanted to try growing. Ichigo bought a small pot of blue violets<sup><a href="#fn1">1</a></sup>; Sousuke carried a pot of crimson gardenias<sup><a href="#fn2">2</a></sup>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichimaru snuck a pocketbook of flower symbolism into one of Ichigo’s pockets. He knew Aizen was well aware of what certain flowers meant. He also knew that Aizen bought those gardenias for Ichigo.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re gettin’ pretty chummy with Aizen now, aren’t ya?” Ichigo flushed at Grimmjow’s question. They were sitting in the empty room they usually use to spar, resting after a particularly rigorous fight. Ichigo’s sketchbook was spread open on his lap, a rough sketch of Grimmjow laid out beside him on one page but on the other, several small and highly detailed drawings were clustered together. They didn’t make a singular cohesive image, seeming to be individual studies of the same person. In the bottom corner of the page was a single drawing of a gardenia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could say that,” he murmured, touching the flower softly. “He asked me to call him by his given name the other day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No shit?” Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at that and whistled lowly. “Didn’t think that bastard allowed anyone that close. Even those other shinigami don’t use his given name.” Ichigo was silent for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...I told him he could use mine too,” he said quietly, face reddening even more. Grimmjow let out a guffaw and Ichigo smacked him with his sketchbook. “Stop laughing! I think I really do like him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grimmjow’s laughs died down and the room became silent once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even though he’s plannin’ on destroying all those shinigami you once knew?” he asked. Ichigo didn’t answer; couldn’t answer, as he knew it was something that should bother him far more than it did. He met a few nice shinigami during the short period he and his friends stormed the Seireitei, but as a whole, they were a society ready to kill one of their own for doing what she thought was right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo thumbed the pages of his sketchbook lightly. He could probably convince Sousuke to spare the few shinigami friends he made. He wasn’t truly heartless after all. His confession in the garden that past week, once Ichimaru left, was enough proof of that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There weren’t many places in Las Noches one could use as date spots, so Ichigo and Sousuke found themselves in their personal rooms more often than not. There was no need for stolen kisses or shy hand holding in that seclusion. With no one daring to visit their private quarters, their relationship progressed quickly and rather smoothly. What started as bashful displays of affection were soon replaced with fervent kisses and wandering hands. Before long, Ichigo had moved his things into Sousuke’s room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They celebrated Ichigo’s birthday inside that very room, exploring all the ways they could make the other moan in pleasure. It led to some very interesting revelations, a simple leather collar finding its way onto Ichigo’s neck and the endearment “puppy” leaving Sousuke’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sousuke returned from a trip to the world of the living, slipping a ring onto Ichigo’s hand as they readied themselves for bed. Ichigo froze in surprise before pulling Sousuke into a kiss that was all smiles and tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they laid in bed that night, Ichigo couldn’t take his eyes off of the matching rings on their clasped hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The garden center in the world of the living became a frequent date spot for the two. Ichigo carried a small journal filled with garden designs in one hand, a worn pocketbook in the other. Sousuke followed behind with a cart of vibrant flowers, smiling softly at his husband. The woman who owned the store thanked them and gave Ichigo some advice on plant spacing and proper watering as they left.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The peace lasted several more months before a shinigami scout was found outside the gates of the palace. Their interrogation uncovered the Seireitei’s plan of using a fake Karakura Town as the final battleground between them and the arrancar. Clearly, the shinigami still assumed Aizen would take the most direct and efficient route of becoming the new god of the three realms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sousuke reassured Ichigo that he would spare his husband’s family to the best of his ability, but could not pass up the opportunity to intimidate the enemy; to show them that he would still win no matter what precautions they took. He called a meeting with his Espada to develop a plan of attack. They were to descend upon the fake Karakura Town the following week.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sousuke took his husband aside later, looking him solemnly in the eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are to stay in Las Noches and wait for me to return,” he ordered. Ichigo’s eyes narrowed. “There is no need for you to fight. You can take care of yourself, yes,” he added, seeing Ichigo begin to retort, “but I would rather you not risk your own safety. With the hogyoku, this should not be much trouble for me. Several of the Espada will stay here as well. I’ll come back to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo sighed but nodded. Sousuke leaned down to steal a sweet kiss from his lips, then pecked him on the forehead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The morning of the attack, Ichigo awoke alone, the ghost of a hand in his hair. He dressed silently, turning the ring around his finger in thought. He knew Sousuke had unimaginable power, but his mind still held the slightest doubt that something would go wrong. Slipping out of their room, he made his way to the garden.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The false sun shone brightly upon a sea of red, white, and pink blossoms. Ichigo retrieved his gardening gloves from the shed and knelt next to a plot of blushing peonies<sup><a href="#fn3">3</a></sup>, cradling one of the fragile blooms. Next to them was a bush covered in white camellias<sup><a href="#fn4">4</a></sup>. On the other side were an empty plot and a pile of petunia<sup><a href="#fn5">5</a></sup> seedlings. The garden center owner told him they would bloom beautiful red flowers, a perfect match to the theme he and Sousuke chose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo spent the next few hours planting the seedlings and pruning the bushes and hedges scattered throughout the garden. By the time he finished, he was covered head to toe in dirt and sweat. His stomach grumbled but he had no appetite; still, he should eat. He returned to his room to shower.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Ichigo took in his appearance. Faded bruises were scattered across his torso, from his latest spar with Grimmjow or from his enthusiastic husband, he couldn’t tell. At the thought of Sousuke, he fingered the collar around his neck, a symbol of his husband’s responsibility towards him; a promise to always take care of him, much like the ring on his finger was a promise to always stay with him. He hoped that Sousuke could still keep those promises by the end of the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo redressed and sat next to the window overlooking the sands of Hueco Mundo. He disliked waiting for Sousuke to come home, unsure if he was okay. He could open a garganta with a device that Syzael developed, but Ichigo would rather not interact with the mad Espada. He had shown quite the interest in dissecting Ichigo and running tests to figure out his exact genetic makeup. Visiting the arrancar alone was not an option, regardless of Ichigo’s worry for his husband.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw an explosion in the palace gates out of the corner of his eye. Such things were a common occurrence, nothing to truly fuss over. When hundreds of highly aggressive hollows live together, there’s bound to be some damage to their home. A construction team would rebuild once the danger had cleared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking in a deep breath to clear his thoughts of his anxiety, Ichigo reached for his current sketchbook. He was working on portraits of his sisters and human friends, trying to cement their images into his memory. There was no telling when he’d see them again, as Sousuke’s plans were of the long-term sort; waiting and building strength, ironing out any possible flaws. It was highly likely they would look very different by then. They were still young, still maturing. Karin and Yuzu would grow taller and lose what little baby fat was left on their cheeks. Would they have partners of their own like he did?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was broken away from his thoughts by frantic slamming at his bedroom door, followed by a loud crash as Grimmjow, bloody and slightly out of breath, burst through.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to go now.” There was urgency in Grimmjow’s voice. Ichigo stood, concern flooding his features.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on? What happened to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no time Kurosaki! Those fucking shinigami ambushed the palace! Now come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If we don’t leave now they’ll try to kill us. I enjoy a fight as much as the next guy, but these guys ain’t playing fair and I don’t like my odds against them.” Grimmjow urged Ichigo towards the window, opening it and allowing the wind to blow into the room. He perched on the windowsill, ready to jump down, and held a hand out to Ichigo. “Let’s go, Kurosaki. You won’t last a day by yourself in the desert, and I enjoy you too much to let you die such a pitiful death.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo hesitated a moment too long and thunderous footsteps could be heard down the hall. Grimmjow swore and gave Ichigo a desperate look. Such an uncharacteristic look on the Espada’s face pushed Ichigo into action. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine,” he said. “They might not kill me when they find me, but they will definitely try to kill you. Go without me and survive so that we might fight again someday.” With those final words, he gave Grimmjow a shove out of the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not a moment later, three shinigami appeared in the doorway, swords drawn. They paused, not seeing the arrancar they were chasing down. One of them gasped when they saw the figure in front of them, red hair pale and white clothes gleaming in Hueco Mundo’s moonlight. Ichigo turned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was greeted by the sight of Rukia, Renji, and Captain Kuchiki. Rukia had a hand over her mouth in shock, while Renji had lowered his sword. Only Captain Kuchiki seemed unfazed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Ichigo? Is that really you?” Rukia took a step forward as she spoke, tears beginning to build up in her eyes. Ichigo gave her a shaky smile in response. She rushed forward to pull Ichigo into a tight embrace. Renji moved towards them, grinning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Man, we thought Aizen killed you! So he just kept you prisoner here?” he exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look as if you’ve been treated awfully well for a prisoner,” Captain Kuchiki interjected, motioning to the room around them. It was lavishly decorated, with Ichigo’s drawings pinned here and there to make it more homey. Ichigo moved out of Rukia embrace and lightly scratched his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you see… this was originally Sousuke’s room before I moved in. I mean, I guess it still is his room since he uses it too but, uh…” Ichigo stammered out. He fidgeted with his collar nervously. Three pairs of eyes bored into it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh,” coughed Renji. “That’s what that bastard kept you around for.” Before Ichigo could explain how wrong that assumption was, Rukia pulled him towards the door. There was pity and regret in her eyes when she looked back at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come, let’s get you back to the Seireitei. The fourth division can look you over,” she said. Her brother stared at Ichigo distrustfully. Something didn’t add up to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ichigo couldn’t get a word in edgewise as a senkaimon gate was opened. Five hell butterflies fluttered through, four settling on their shoulders while the fifth hovered in front of Captain Kuchiki. His eyes closed as the message was relayed to him. The butterfly flew back into the senkaimon. With the captain’s next words, Ichigo felt his heart drop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The traitors Ichimaru and Tousen have been killed. Aizen has been subdued and is currently being transported to the Maggot’s Nest for punishment.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Upon reaching the Seireitei, Ichigo was shuttled off to the fourth division’s healers. It was only during the examination that someone noticed the wedding band he wore. A few raised their suspicions of Ichigo willingly joining Aizen, though they were drowned out by Rukia’s and Renji’s insistence on Ichigo being used for Aizen’s own sick needs. They were adamant that Ichigo was manipulated by the man like so many others were. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was reported to the Head Captain, who took a precautionary approach to the situation. He couldn’t imprison Ichigo without inciting a coup, but he couldn’t let the boy walk free in the Seireitei. He demanded a select few shinigami act as his guards and a reiatsu-suppressing collar be used. Ichigo struggled when they took away the collar Sousuke had gifted him earlier in their relationship, but ultimately knew he couldn’t fight back without causing trouble for himself. He felt faint as the suppression collar was latched onto him. Without the cover of his own heavy reiatsu, even the weakest shinigami’s reiatsu weighed him down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What followed was weeks of visits from Captain Unohana, who attempted to counsel Ichigo, a rehabilitation of sorts to extract his mind from Aizen’s lies and schemes. It was incredibly tiring to him, who knew that Sousuke was nothing but genuine to him for most of his stay at Las Noches. He missed the garden; missed sitting under the gazebo with his husband and watching Ichimaru tend to the lilies lovingly. He hoped the palace was still intact. The garden would be fine without someone to tend to it, if not a little wild, but the thought of all the effort they put into it being destroyed put a strain on his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow he managed to convince his guards to allow him to tend to the fourth division gardens, a poor replacement but something to do with his time nonetheless. The flowers there had no rhyme or reason to them, no significance in their meanings. Ichigo recalled the pocketbook he memorized, left behind in the rush to leave Las Noches. Back in his assigned room, he made a list; a request for certain flowers: chrysanthemums, orchids<sup><a href="#fn6">6</a></sup>, lilies, and gardenias. He couldn’t remake his garden, but he could at least make a tribute to it and those who created it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a few days later when Rukia told him the Head Captain had authorised a trip to the world of the living as an attempt to show Ichigo what he almost lost to Aizen’s invasion of Karakura Town. It was to remind him of the life he had before, that he could still return to. Ichigo thought it was bullshit but agreed to go anyway. The Seireitei showed no sign of believing Ichigo when he explained his relationship with Sousuke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The world of the living was the same as ever. None of the humans there knew how close they came to perishing, casualties of a war they had no part in. Ichigo’s shinigami escort brought him near his old school, his childhood home, and several other of his formal haunts, but never close enough for the spiritually aware to notice them. While this caused Ichigo to miss his family and friends terribly, it also cemented the fact that the world kept turning while he was missing and presumed dead. Everyone would be fine without him, move on from their grief and live on. If Sousuke hadn’t been captured, then there was a possibility that he would have been happy as well. Now though, he was a prisoner of the Gotei 13 despite their assurances that he was being protected from those who thought he was in cahoots with the traitors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they reached their last stop, one of his escorts pulled out a folded slip of paper, waving it in front of Ichigo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We thought we’d make one last stop before going back to the Seireitei,” he said, opening the folded note. It was Ichigo’s list of requested flowers. “We’ll need to stop by the Urahara Shoten for gigais, but there’s a garden store here we can get these at.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their visit to Urahara’s little shop was uneventful as most of its occupants were out. Tessai said nothing to Ichigo, propping up a gigai for him to slip into. They left with no other words than a “Thank you for shopping with us”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The garden center also hadn’t changed. The owner lit up at the sight of Ichigo walking into the greenhouse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome back Aizen-san! It’s been a while since your last visit. I see you’ve brought new friends this time, but your husband is missing. Is he busy this weekend?” She was beaming. Ichigo smiled sadly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid he’s passed on,” he may as well have, “a freak accident at work,” he told her. Her face fell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry to hear that, Aizen-san.” She gestured to the greenhouse behind her. “Since you were always my favorite customers, how about I give you my best seedlings at a discount?” Ichigo handed her his list, thanking her. She took her leave, disappearing behind a display of young fruit trees. Ichigo looked around at the rainbow of flowers surrounding them. This would probably be the last time he could visit the garden center. The next time the Head Captain would allow him to travel to the world of the living might not happen for several years, decades even. He couldn’t come back here still looking as he did now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The store owner returned with a cart piled high with flowers, many of which were not on Ichigo’s list. She waved off his protests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You only need to pay for the ones you asked for; the others are gifts from me.” Pink carnations<sup><a href="#fn7">7</a></sup> and red spider lilies<sup><a href="#fn8">8</a></sup> surrounded a single white gardenia<sup><a href="#fn9">9</a></sup> and dark crimson rose<sup><a href="#fn10">10</a></sup>. Behind those, Ichigo could see the white of the chrysanthemums and lilies he originally requested. He could feel tears well up and hastily rubbed them away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he said gratefully. A thought occurred to him as his escorts paid for the flowers. “Um, could I get a small bouquet of yellow pansies<sup><a href="#fn11">11</a></sup> as well?” Ichigo asked the owner, who nodded and left to fetch them. He turned to the shinigami around him. “I hope it’s not too much to ask, but can we make one more stop before going back? There’s someone I haven’t talked to in a while, and I’d like to catch her up on what’s happened.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They arrived at the cemetery as the sun was setting. Ichigo hardly had to think about where he was going as he came to a stop in front of his mother’s grave. There was a new addition since he last visited; a framed photo of himself, along with a vase with a few calendula marigold<sup><a href="#fn12">12</a></sup> blossoms. He placed his own bouquet of pansies into the vase before kneeling to pray. His escorts stood at the end of the row to give him some privacy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Central 46 ruled that Aizen would be locked up in the Maggot’s Nest for two thousand years and that Ichigo, who it would seem would never recover from the traitor’s mental manipulation, could never be allowed to use his powers or travel freely between the realms. He was given a small home on the outskirts of the Seireitei with a courtyard large enough for a decent sized garden. It was quiet out there, with only the occasional distant rumble from the Gotei 13 barracks. It reminded him of sparring arrancars back in Las Noches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was given a small allowance to buy food, clothing, or other various things to occupy his time. His first purchase was a pack of sketchbooks, which he immediately began using. He wanted to capture his husband’s likeness before his memory became fuzzy. He also took to drawing Ichimaru and Grimmjow, the two people he was closest to that he would never see again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That afternoon, Ichigo sat near the pond in the courtyard, watching the koi fish swim circles. It was peaceful. His fingers absentmindedly traced the suppression collar still attached to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He would be fine, he thought. Content in his garden of memories; never truly happy, no, but able to live on knowing that he still had the company of his flowers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>End.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <sup>1. [means trustworthiness]<a href="#ref1">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>2. [means secret love]<a href="#ref2">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>3. [means beauty of marriage]<a href="#ref3">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>4. [means adoration, love, affection]<a href="#ref4">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>5. [red ones mean hope, encourage love in rough situations]<a href="#ref5">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>6. [these two are common funeral flowers (along with lilies), mean grief and eternal love respectfully]<a href="#ref6">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>7. [means remembrance]<a href="#ref7">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>8. [means final goodbyes]<a href="#ref8">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>9. [means purity of a relationship/loved one]<a href="#ref9">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>10. [means grief and sorrow, a single rose means enduring love for the deceased]<a href="#ref10">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>11. [means remembrance]<a href="#ref11">↩</a></sup>
  <br/>
  <sup>12. [means grief, sorrow, despair]<a href="#ref12">↩</a></sup>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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